CARING NATURE (ClimAte neutRal INitiatives for GrowiNg heAlTh and care Unmet REquirements) - Waste Management in Health Care

Abstract

Background: Each OR has the potential to produce up to 2300 kg of waste/year. A recent study from UK, USA and Canada documented that ORs were found to be up to 6 times more energy-consuming than other hospital departments, but in addition, ORs generate several types of waste and by-products, each requiring a different disposal.

Aims: This project aims to provide a paradigmatic change in the life-cycle of waste produced in the OR.

Methods: 1) We will provide an accurate measure of the total amount of waste produced in the OR, by monitoring activities in the OR for a 2-weeks period. 2) We will produce operational guidelines, based on 3 levels of interventions: A) Reuse; B) Rethink (raise awareness and promote education on health-care waste); and C) Reduce. 3) We will produce an organization model based on a new tool to discard products and implement their recycling. 4) We will provide the blueprint of reusable products, by scrutinizing the market of surgical devices and testing/comparing potential devices to those routinary employed. 5) Finally, we will divulgate a training package for all healthcare workers working in the OR focused on the management of hospital waste.

Results: This project is part of the CARING NATURE initiative, submitted and funded in the HORIZON-HLTH-2023-CARE-04 call. The 36-months project will start on January 2024.

Conclusions: This EU-funded project will add knowledge, implement management with new tools, address unmet needs, promote re-use, limit overuse, and disseminate guidelines to radically change OR management.

Funding: This work has been supported by the CARING NATURE project that has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under the Grant Agreement No. 101101322.